Data Breach Report: 18.5 Million Californians’ Personal Data At Risk

According to a press release, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has released the second annual report detailing the 167 data breaches reported to the Attorney General’s office in 2013. The report reveals the 167 breaches placed the personal data of an estimated 18.5 million Californians at risk. As part of the report, the Attorney General also released a number of recommendations on breach prevention and data protection in the future.

“Data breaches pose a serious threat to the privacy, finances and personal security of California consumers,” Harris said in the statement. “The fight against these kind of cybercrimes requires the use of innovative strategies by government and the private sector to protect our state’s consumers and businesses. I strongly encourage more use of encryption to significantly reduce the risk of data breaches.”

The report recommends healthcare providers should use strong encryption to protect medical information on laptops and on other portable devices, and consider encryption for desktop computers.